End-gate for wagons



(No Model.)

H. A. LARSON, END GATE FOR WAGONS.

No. 402,944. Patented May 7, 1889.

T'VITNLSSES, Q,

NITED STATES HENRY A. LARSON, OF HAlVTI-IORN, IOWVA.

END-GATEFOR WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,944, dated May '7, 1889. Application filed February 14, 1889. Serial No. 299,832. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. LARSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hawthorn, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End- Gates for WVagons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of wagon end-gates which when lowered may be used as a scoop or shovelingboard, and when raised and secured will be rigidly held against the end of the wagon; and

it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the rear end of a wagonbody, showing my improvement applied as a scoop. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the endgate fastened in position to close the end of the wagon-box.

A refers to the end-gate or scoop, which may be of any desired form, composed of bottom board, a, and side pieces, a, the side pieces extending a little beyond the front end of the bottom board, so that the projecting ends will overlap the extended ends of the cross-rail b of the wagon-body to secure the lower end of the end-gate in position when raised, while the upper end is fastened by the improvement to be hereinafter described.

To near the upper edge of the sides of the wagon-body is attached an angle-iron, b, to which is pivotally connected one end of a lever-bar, O, the opposite end thereof being hooked to engage with a loop, D, secured near the upper edge of the side pieces of the scoop and parallel therewith. The lever-bar O is connected to the angle-plate b by making a short bend in the end thereof and inserting said bent end in the perforation in the angleplate and then dropping the'lever down, thus fastening it pivotally to the angle-plate.

When it is desired to use the end-gate to close the end of a wagon, the lever-bars C are pulled through the loops D until the gate assumes a vertical position, when the lower end of the lever-bar is sprung into a catch, 0, secured to the sides of the end-gate, which securely fastens the gate to the wagon. The lower edge of the bottom board, a, bearing upon the cross-rail b and the sides of the scoop embracing the wagon-body, prevent vertical or lateral movement, while the extended side pieces of the scoop overlapping the extended ends of the cross-rail secures the lower end of the gate, the upper end thereof being held by the lever engaging with the loop and catch, the loop acting as a fulcrum for the lever.

When itis desired to use the ordinary sliding board to close the end of the wagon-body, my improved scoop and end-gate can be readily detached, as there are no hinges securing the same, and the lever-bar 0, being pivoted to the angle-plate b, as hereinbefore described, can also be readily removed.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to provide a wagon-body with loops and catches with which spring lever-bars are adapted to engage, and I do not claim such construction, broadly, as my invention; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a wagon-body having a cross-rail, b, projecting to rear of its rear end, a hingeless scoop-board resting on said cross-rail, angle-plates 19, secured to the sides of the body near the rear upper edge, loops D, secured to the sides of the scoop near their outer ends, catches O, secured near the inner ends of the sides of the scoop, and lever-bars removably connected at one end to the angleplates 5 and engaging the loop D, or the loop and catch 0, according to the position of the scoop, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a wagon -body having a cross-rail, b, with extended en'ds, an angle-plate, b, permanently attach ed near the 

